Can Money Buy Love?
by Ducksquackloud
Summary: Katniss is starving, with Prim and her mother by her side. To save her family, she signs up for a program where she will be sold as someone's wife. Peeta Mellark is the man who buys her, sending all the money to her family to keep them alive until Prim can work. Katniss is hoping for a nice husband, and it looks like she's certainly found one. AU. Rated T for possible language.
1. Handing Myself Over

I walked into the building with all the paperwork in my hands, ready to give myself away. I kept my head high and was careful not to be clumsy, Miss Trinket says she tells our husbands when we get there of any flaws we may have. If they do not think they can live with the flaw then they will reject us and send us back to our home. They pay a great deal of money for a wife, most of them don't treat women well, so they can't convince anyone to marry them of freewill. I really home my husband allows me to visit my sister, Prim, and my mother. They're doing better, but when I left a lot of the money that was constantly coming in to keep us alive was from me. My mother has a job now, but it took her years to find someone who would take a widow under their wing. The money paid from my future husband will keep them alive at least until Prim can take a job to bring in more money. I hope and pray as I walk in that morning that my husband will allow me to see them, or even write. Miss Trinket made it clear that some of us may never see our families again, or may not even be allowed to write them, depending on how our husband ran his house. She made it clear that some of them would want kids, some would demand "love making", and some would treat us like their personal slaves. I made the sacrifice, though. Prim cried last night at my goodbye dinner, and it broke my heart, but I knew it was the right thing to do. She cried again when they dropped me off outside, and my mother had to tear her away from me. I shake my head and walk up to the front desk, setting the paperwork down infront of the overly cheery lady. She beams at me, "Oh, you must be so excited! You'll meet your husband today!" she says, all the while smiling. Yep. Way too cheery.  
"Yeah," I say flatly,"Thanks." I sit down next to a nice looking girl and pull out a picture of my family.  
"Is that your family?" she asks, looking over my shoulder at the picture.  
"Yeah."  
"I'm Delly," she holds out her hand, "what's your name?"  
"Katniss," I shake her hand,"Nice to meet you."  
"So, where are you headed?" she asks, crossing one leg over the other.  
"I'm not sure, Miss Trinket hasn't gotten the paperwork quite yet. It should have arrived the other night, she said she'll inform me during our last minute meetings on our husbands," I answer. She nods and smiles.  
"I'm going to Savannah, Georgia," she annouces, "I hope my husband will allow me to see my family. But, then again, who isn't hoping that?" she hangs her head.  
"I know what you mean, my sister has been crying since last night," she smiles again.  
"Maybe, we could write, if our husbands allow. Once we get our addresses from Miss Trinket at our meetings we can exchange them," she suggests.  
I nod, "I'd like that. And, who knows, they may even let us phone each other," she smiles and nods. We chat for awhile, and I'm glad to get my mind off things for awhile. Miss Trinket comes out soon enough and calls a few girls before I go in.  
"Miss Katniss Everdeen," she annouces, and Delly smiles at me, urging me on. I stand up and walk properly, just as her classes showed me. She closes the door behind us, and gets down to business, "Your fiancée has been in the war, he may need comforting at times, so keep that in mind. He owns a bakery, you will most likely be expected to work there. Every wife in our program is expected to cook and clean. Anything done in the bedroom is entirely up to your fiancée, no protesting. Always make him feel loved, never refuse to anything, only wear skirts and dresses unless he requests otherwise," she rushes through the first part before slowing down, "Now, everybody will marry different people, these are just the basics. You will need to fit your husband's needs properly. Am I clear?" she asks, making me nod. She shuffles some papers, "Here is your address, which is always good to know in case of emergency. Your husbands says he owns a telephone and computer. He will decide if you are to use them or not. He may not allow you to write to friends of family, so be prepared. I think we're done here, do you have any questions?" she smiles with her finish.  
"No, ma'am," I address her properly, I want her to know I'd been paying attention during the manners portion of class.  
"His name is Peeta. And it says here that you will be Mrs. Mellark," I nod and thank her as we exit the room.  
"So, where are you headed?" Delly stands up to greet me.  
"Savannah, Georgia," we both smile and begin our chattering again. She handles most of the talking, which I'm grateful for. She goes on about how it'd be great if we were allowed to see each other, and all the wonderful things we could do together. I didn't really know Delly, but anyone could tell by looking at her that she brought with her only good.  
"Okay, ladies, time to go meet your husbands!" Miss Trinket announces, startling me. Everybody gets up and we all pile into a bus to begin our new lives. Most of them will not be good, but I sure hope I get a husband that is nice enough to care about me a little. Delly chatters for most of the ride and we exchange addresses, I look out the window, praying all the while. Delly is one of the first girls to get off and I wish her good luck, and she smiles and waves to me as Miss Trinket goes in to get one last signature from the man she will be living with for the rest of her life.  
When Miss Trinket announces that I'm to get off I startle and I am extremely nervous. I walk properly, as she showed me, smoothing out my skirt. She knocks softly on the door, and a few seconds later a blonde-haired man answers the door. He smiles, "Hello. You must be Katniss?" he asks me.  
"Yes," I say, curtysing, "It's a pleasure to be here," I make my way back up.  
"Mr. Mellark, if I could have you sign here, then you two will officially be married!" she shoves a clipboard at him, pointing to a line for him to sign his name on. He signs and I pick up my bags. Miss Trinket beams again, "Okay, if she is any trouble, you just call."  
"That shouldn't be a problem," he says and opens the door wider so I can come in.  
"Good luck, you two. Goodbye," she shrills, waving and making her way back to the bus.  
"So, welcome home," he says, gesturing around the room, "I can take your bags."  
"No, no. I'm trained to take care of you," I tell him, smiling like Miss Trinket said we're supposed to.  
"It's okay, I'd like to, you're not my servant or anything," he takes the bags from my hands and I follow him up the stairs. I feel so relieved that he doesn't expect me to wait on him. When we get upstairs he sets my suitcase on the king-size bed.  
"Thank you, I can prepare dinner," I say, hoping I can figure out how to use his kitchen supplies.  
"Oh, no that's fine, I have it on the stove already, it should be ready in about twenty minutes. Would you like some help unpacking?" I thank God that my husband won't be a mean one, and I'm glad that he's happy to take care of me.  
"It's alright, you've been very nice. I'm sorry, but I seem to have forgotten your name," I admit shyly.  
"Peeta," he beams, waving goodbye and going downstairs. When he's out of sight I sigh. When I open the closet I realize just how big his-I mean our-house is. The closet is about the size of my house back home. I'm pretty confident that Peeta will let me see my family, and even Delly. I just hope her husband is as nice as mine has been to me. When I'm finished unpacking my things I walk down the stairs and into the kitchen.  
"I was just about too call you down, the stew is ready," that ever appearing smile on his face. We talk for awhile, having an easy conversation, and when I finish I tell him how delicious it was. When I begin to clear the table he protests, telling me he can do it himself, and that I shouldn't worry.  
"You must be tired, you've had a long day. You can go on upstairs, I'll be up in a minute," he turns back to the dishes and turns on the water, adding the dish soap in. I walk upstairs with a smile on my face, maybe this won't be so bad, after all. Wait, who am I kidding? This man _bought_ me, and I'm pretty sure the kindness will come to an end as soon as he begins demanding things in bed. I wipe the smile off my face and put on a nightgown. He had bought a bunch of clothes for me, he told me at dinner he wasn't sure what I liked so he bought a variety. He also said we can go shopping again when he isn't working. I take out a book that I brought along-one of Prim's favorites. He walks in and smiles when he sees me reading.  
"Hello," I say with a smile. I can still hear Miss Trinket's annoying voice in my head, 'Mind your manners, do as you're told, and never protest. Then, your husband will not return you,' I'm glad classes are over.  
"Hello, I'm going to shower, then I'll be going to bed. Bakery opens early," he returns the smile, making his way to the bathroom.  
"When do we leave?" I ask, putting my book down. I don't want to read much longer if I'll be getting up early.  
"Oh, you don't have to come," I think he can tell I'm surprised that I'm not expected to work with him at the bakery.  
"But, Miss Trinket said that you'd expect me to."  
"You're my wife, not my servant, Katniss. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do," my luck is phenomenal, he doesn't want to force me to do anything. On top of that he's been extremely nice. All the weight has been lifted off my shoulders, he's been so nice. He disappears into the bathroom. When he comes out a few minutes later in a towel I can't help but stare at his shirtless appearance.  
"Sorry," I shyly say, dropping my head so he can't see the blush that's crawled to my face.  
"It's okay, we are married," he tells me, disappearing into the bathroom again with boxers and a pair of pajama pants. I must admit, he is attractive...and nice. I let my thoughts wander to Prim and my future with Peeta, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. When he comes out I'm already lying on my back with the reading light off. He climbs in and relaxes next to me.  
"I'm glad I got as nice of a husband as you," I whisper, breaking the silence.  
"I'm glad I got you, too," he whispers, "You seem nice, and I want to make you happy," he tells me, turning on his side to face me. I do the same, mirroring the smile on his face.  
"Thank you. Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure."  
"Why are you so nice to me?" confusion wipes over his face before he answers.  
"Why wouldn't I be?" his question makes the same look wash over my face.  
"Miss Trinket said not to expect our husband to be respectful, or even nice. She said we probably wouldn't be able to see our family or friends. She said we were supposed to be your servant, pretty much. But, you treat me nicely, and you don't want me to do anything I don't want to. Why is that?" I finally finish, looking into his eyes, trying to read his reaction.  
"I believe that you should respect women, and treat them with kindness. You're not my servant, I hope you know that, Katniss," we're both looking into each others eyes with such intensity.  
"Would you mind if I came closer to you?" when I say these words I'm sure we're both surprised.  
"Not at all," he replies as I scoot closer. To my surprise, I lift his arm up and put it around myself.  
"Goodnight, Peeta," I sigh, closing my eyes.  
"Goodnight, Katniss," he whispers, taking his hand and finding mine. I'm not sure why I'm trusting him. To think, this morning I was telling myself how awful it would be to leave and live with a stranger. Tomorrow I decide I will ask him if I can see my family soon, or write to them. When, I don't know, but I fall asleep, feeling satisfied and happy to be with someone as kind as my husband, Peeta.


	2. Sneak Peak

When I wake up I find a note lying on Peeta's spot of the bed. 'I'm at the bakery, be home around 2:30. There's breakfast on the table, help yourself!'. I swing my legs over the bed and stand up, stretching and walking to the bathroom. I peel my clothes off and turn on the water, thinking about last night. Why I asked if I could come closer to him, I don't know. All I know is that I've never trusted someone so easily before, and that's scary. When the water's warm I climb in and let it wash my worries away, even if it's just for a little while. Once I finished I climb back out and grab a towel, drying myself and wrapping it around my body. I open the door and find an outfit, one Peeta bought for me. It's a green top with jeans, my usual outfit. I walk back into the bathroom and find my brush, untangling my hair and making it silky and smooth. When I braid my hair down my back I realize how childish I look. I'm eighteen already, technically an adult, and still braiding my hair the same way I did in first grade. I take it out and dry my hair with a blow dryer, which Peeta had bought prior. He had a bunch of things for me, telling me that he wanted me to be as comfortable as possible. When I open up a drawer I find a whole bunch of hair ties, headbands, bows, flower-clips, nail polish, and even a hair straightener and makeup. He said he wanted me to wear whatever I was comfortable with, which meant I didn't need to wear makeup. When my hair was dry I decided to play around with the straightener, finding how much I liked the look. When I finish it's already eleven o'clock, so I find a white headband and gently push it back onto my head. When I'm done, I look at my work, feeling satisfied with my appearance. I walk down the steps, revealing a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast sitting at the table. I eat quickly before rushing upstairs to find Delly's address. I know Peeta wants me to be comfortable, so I decide to put on some shoes and walk to her house.

* * *

Knocking on the door, I see that her house is about as large as mine, only a little smaller. When she opens the door she noticeably cheers up, "Katniss!" she throws her arms around my neck, and I hug her back.

"Hey, how are you?" I ask, holding her out so I can see her.

"Good, I guess. My husband's pretty nice, but he wants me to do everything. But, Miss Trinket says everyone will have to, " she says, shrugging, "So, how did you escape?"

"I didn't. He said he didn't really care, he's really nice. He bought me all these new clothes and cooked dinner, he even bought me a bunch of headbands and stuff. Oh, and I straightened my hair, do you like it?" whoa, since when did I get all girly?

"Yeah, it's really nice. Look, in half an hour we can meet up?" she asks, looking back at her husband inside.

"Yeah, how about that little park by my house. Did you see it yesterday?" I ask, jabbing my thumb over my shoulder to indicate the direction.

"Yeah, I did. Okay, noon at the park?" we settle, as she begins to back inside.

"Great," I say, smiling. With that I leave, walking back to my mansion. When I'm inside I walk upstairs to the bedroom, picking up Prim's book. I've read a good chapter before I leave again. I wait a whole hour at the park and Delly doesn't show up. I wonder where she went on the way back home, thinking of many reason that make me sick to my stomach. With it already being a little past one o'clock I decide to read a little more until Peeta comes home.

**I know this is small! I decided to give you a little sneak-peak. I normally will update every 3-5 days. Thanks for the kind reviews, they motivate me! Also the follows/favs make me feel loved and I will update more. Before I update again I'm hoping for 10 reviews! Thanks, again! Love you!**


	3. Thank You!

"Katniss?!" Peeta's voice echoes through the large house. It startles me, and I realize I haven't read one page in the last hour. I wipe my eyes, just noticing I had been crying.

"Coming!" I shout so that he knows I'm here. When I get down the steps I see that he's full of flour. I start laughing at him, putting my hand over my mouth in an attempt to cover it up.

"What?" he asks, opening his arms to hug me. I back away, know that if I touch him I'll be covered in flour. He ends up chasing me around the house, and when he finally catches me he wipes flour all over my face. We laugh for awhile, and I'm happy to know that he can always cheer me up. I now know that his marriage won't be as forced as I thought it would be. When we end up in the kitchen as our laughter dies down, "I was thinking I'd make an early dinner, or did you eat lunch already?" he asks, opening up the pantry.

"No. Actually, I was out. I went to see a friend."

"Oh, that's great, where'd you meet her?" he asks, taking some spaghetti noodles and boiling some water.

"Um, just before we left home. We got to talking in the waiting room."

"Oh. I was thinking, maybe we could go visit your family in a few weeks. It'd be nice to meet them, and I'm sure you miss them."

"Really?" I ask my breath catching in my throat.

"Yeah, we could drive up in my automobile," he says casually.

"Thank you," I run to hug him, showing how grateful I am.

"Sure thing," he says returning my affection.

"I'm so excited to see them," I squeal, smiling broadly.

"So, how many people are in your family?"

"I have my mother and my sister, Prim."

"What about your father?" he asks, causing my smile to fall from my face.

"He um, he died when I was eleven. He was really sick," I say, causing a lump to form in my throat.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I don't really like to talk about it," I say quietly, and he nods. When the spaghetti is ready we eat in silence. I'm still shaken about Delly, and I really hope she's okay. I guess all I can do now is wait until tomorrow to go to her house again. Tomorrow now seems so far away.

**Hey, someone said in the reviews that I was copying a story. I got the idea of Peeta buying her from that story, but I changed some things to make it my own. Plus, I plan on finishing this story, unlike the author of "Love You Long Time". Btw, OMG! 20 reviews!? Thank you so much, I was only hoping for 10. Maybe by next time I can get 30? Thanks again! Love you! Btw, sorry for the shortness but I had to have somewhat of a cliff hanger.**


	4. Getting to Know You

I wake up and Peeta is still in bed, looking so peaceful. I don't have the  
heart to wake him up, so I lie back down, cuddling into his chest. I would've never thought I'd ever cuddle up to someone who legally bought me. I realize that I've never trusted someone so much, but I feel that that's the sort of vibe he sends off to people. It's so clear how he feels all the time. He's always happy, and kind, and he never frowns. I scoot away, curling up in the corner of the bed. Something about being so close to someone so new doesn't feel right. It almost feels like I'm trying to convince myself that he will always be this way. I wonder if he will be like this all the time, maybe after we're used to each other he'll be less nice. It's my third day here, and second night sleeping with Peeta, not once has he asked me for anything.

My thoughts begin to make my head hurt, and I end up rolling back over by him. I keep telling myself this is wrong, that I shouldn't trust him, but I remember his smile. How beautiful it is on his face, and how his blue eyes twinkle. That makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I look up at him, his peaceful form and messy hair, and his chest, which heaves up and down as he breathes. I remember the first day I got here, and when he came out in his towel after his shower. I stared at his toned abs and blushed. Katniss Everdeen is not one to blush, she's not even one to smile, but that's changed since I began living with Peeta. Wait, no, is it possible that I like him? I can't, not after all the time I spent trying to stay strong at home, all the time Prim cried, all the time that I was dreading the day I showed up at his doorstep, all the time I silently cried after Prim was asleep. I can't bring myself to believe it. I don't even realize it when tears pool onto Peeta's chest. I think it's my sobbing that wakes him up, or perhaps my shaking next to him. He looks at me concerned, and I let him push hair out of my eyes as we both sit up, "What's wrong?" he says sleepily.

"I don't know," I whisper, letting myself lean into his hug.

"It's okay," he soothes. The thing is, I don't want him right now. Right now I want my father. I guess that's why I'm crying. He never would've wanted me to marry for anything other than love. That's why he married my mother, and that's what he wanted for Prim and me. I can't bring myself to talk, because I know my voice will make me sound worse than I am.

"I just-I guess I just miss home," I say, not wanting to tell him the full truth. I know if I say 'I miss my father' he'll feel guilty for asking about him yesterday.

"How about we go this weekend, we can surprise them. Does your family do anything special on weekends?" he asks, climbing from bed.

"No," I climb from bed as well, "we can really go?" I ask, anxiety showing in my voice.

"Yeah, we can. I should bring some food, I can prepare something at their house," he says, stretching his arms and legs.

"Thank you!" I exclaim, and instinctively run over to hug him.

"It's no problem, Katniss," he tells me, hugging me back.

"Do you think I could go visit my friends?" I ask cautiously.

"I don't see why not," he shrugs. Why is he so nice?

"Would you come with me to visit them? They'll probably want to know that I'm okay, that I got someone nice," I smile flirtatiously. Why am I being like this? Besides, it's not like I need to flirt, he's already my husband.

"That'd be great. That reminds me, I wanted to ask you a question. Did I, by any chance, cause you to break up with a boyfriend?" his question takes me by surprise, but I can tell by the way he asked the question that he felt guilty.

"Um," I blush a deep red, "I've never had a boyfriend before," I admit.

"You don't need to be embarrassed," he says, beginning to walk down the stairs, "We will be living together for awhile, you're going to have to get used to me," he flashes me a smile. I follow him down and into the kitchen. He's still shirtless from sleeping, and my eyes wander to his chest and stomach. I'm embarrassed when he catches me staring.

"You know, I think you actually like me," he says, flipping a pancake I wasn't aware he was cooking.

"Why wouldn't I like you?" I ask.

"I don't know. I guess I feel like I took you from your family and friends. If you want we can move there, you could see them everyday," he suggests.

"I can't ask you to do that, what about your bakery?"

"It doesn't matter, I don't need the bakery, it's more of a hobby than anything else."

"Maybe we could move when I get to know you better. I want to know you more when there's just us, I don't want a whole crowd gathered," I say, and I'm surprised by my words.

"Okay, if you say so," he shrugs, putting the pancake onto a plate and placing it in front of my spot at the table.

"I do like you, Peeta. I just want to spend more time with you, that way I can like you better," I say while cutting my pancake up and taking a bite.

"I like you, too, Katniss. How about we spend today together?" he asks, flipping his own pancake onto a plate and coming to sit down at the table with me.

"Okay, what would you like to do?" I take another bite of my pancake, looking him in the eye.

"We could rent a movie. Is there anything new you'd like to see?"

"Um, I don't really know, you can choose," I say politely.

"Oh, I think I know one that may appeal to you, it's kind of new, it came out a few months ago," he tells me.

"Okay, I'm going to shower, then we can watch it," I say, picking up my plate and walking to the sink. I begin to run the water.

"Katniss," he says.

"What?" I ask.

"You don't have to do the dishes, leave them. I'll take care of it later."

"You're too nice," I tell him.

"No such thing as being too nice," he says.

"Well, thank you," I say. Then I do something I never thought I'd do to anyone in a million years. I kissed him on the cheek. I know it's not a legit kiss, but's it's the most intimate I've ever been with anyone. I head up the stairs with a smile on my face the whole way. In the shower I keep the smile on my face, while figuring out what to say to him next. When I finish I walk out and grab my towel from the counter. I walk out of the bathroom with the towel around me, digging through the many clothes on the hangers. Peeta walks in just as I grab an outfit to wear.

"Sorry," he says.

"It's okay," I say, "I'm going to go get dressed."

"Okay, I'll put on the movie," he says, I nod before ducking into the bathroom. When I walk out my hair is in a ponytail, and Peeta is in his pajamas with the movie already in the DVD Player.

"What's it called?" I ask, walking over and sitting on my side of the bed.

"It's a new one, "The Host"," he says, pressing play.

"Okay," I say, turning my attention to the flat screen TV across the room. Peeta was right, I did like it. When it finished I stood up.

"Did you like it?" he asks, standing as well and turning the TV off.

"I did. Would you mind if I left for about ten minutes?" I ask.

"No, not at all. What do you need?"

"I just wanted to go see my friend, we were supposed to meet yesterday but she didn't show."

"Okay, maybe then we could go for a walk, I can show you the town," he suggests.

"That'd be great, I'll be back soon," and with that I walk out the door. When I finally reach Delly's house I knock on the door.

"Katniss? What're you doing here?" she asked, stepping out onto the porch with me.

"I was worried. You didn't show yesterday, what happened?" I inquire, concern showing on my face.

"Um, my husband, Cato, wanted me for something," she says, hanging her head.

"How many time has he needed you?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"It seem like all the time, my virginity is long gone. What about you?" she asks, hoping the same didn't happen to me.

"I'm still a virgin, he doesn't really want to. He feels like it's rushing, we're getting used to each other, though."

"That's good, I'll come by your house tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. What time?"

"Um, lunch?"

"Sure, maybe you can meet Peeta, he comes home around two o'clock. Will you be able to stay that long?"

"I don't know, let me ask," she ducks her head in and shouts to her husband about coming to my house.

"Whatever!" he says from upstairs, probably busy with something.

"Okay, I guess I can come, I'll see you soon," she smiles.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Delly," I say before walking back to my house.

"Hey, Peeta, I'm home!" I shout through the house. He comes bounding down the steps a second later.

"Oh, hey. You ready to go?" he asks, walking towards the door.

"Yeah. Um, would you mind if my friend came over for lunch tomorrow?"

"No, not at all. Do you want me to get a cake or something from the bakery?"

"Sure, that'd be great. Let's go, then," I say, walking out the door. We walk and talk for awhile, and plan on what we'll do when we go to my house. I tell him my friends and about what we like to do. He tells me about his family, too. Apparently, his mother wasn't the nicest person to live with, but his father sure was. The rest of the day goes like this, just talking and laughing together. Over the past few days I've come to like him a lot. He's funny, and always happy. That night I don't even bother trying to not snuggle up to him. I know this feels right, so I'm not going to deny it anymore.

**Okay, I couldn't resist! I had to update, your follows, favorites, and reviews were too kind! So, from now on, I will update on Mondays. I'm hoping for 50 reviews by next time! Love you all, bye!**


	5. Coming Home

When I woke up I could hear Peeta in the shower, so I decide to just relax and lie there for awhile. I rethink yesterday, knowing it had to have been one of the best days of my life. Just being with him was...magical. Before I went to bed I remember thinking about how it would be to kiss him. I've never kissed anyone before, only my family before bedtime, but those aren't real kisses. I wonder how many times he's kissed someone, and how many women have been in the bed I'm in right now. Maybe he bought me to try and get over somebody, or to finally just commit. Maybe committing to someone you could control was easier than finding the right person. I guess they could never leave you, unless they had a ton of cash lying around, but the women in the program I'm in aren't exactly living in these kinds of houses. In fact, this is about the size of the hotel in my town.

"Hey, do you want breakfast, Katniss?" Peeta's voice shakes me from my thinking.

"Um, yeah, sure," I say, getting out of bed, "I'm just going to take a quick shower," he nods his head and starts bounding down the steps. The day goes by in a blur, and all I do is think about tomorrow. I'll see Prim tomorrow, and she'll stop her worrying when she sees how nice Peeta is. My mother will stop worrying, too, along with Gale and Madge.

* * *

As I get into our bed that night I gently lean over and kiss his cheek. He smiles at me, and pulls me closer. After awhile he speaks, "I care about you, Katniss. Even if we've only lived together for a little while," It takes every muscle in my body not to blurt out the same thing before he finishes.

"I care about you, too," I say, tracing my finger up and down his stomach, begging my fingers not to go too far.

"You know, you're probably the kind of girl I would've married anyway."

"I never did get the chance to ask you why you bought me," I say, looking into his eyes, and resting my hand.

He sighs, "At first, it was just a joke some of my friends thought of. But, then I realized that it would be so much easier to find someone if they just showed up at your doorstep. Besides, all the girls I've met were so...fake. I just needed to find someone, I was tired of being disappointed by my dates."

"I understand. Most of the girls at my school were like that, and most of the guys. I guess that's why I never had a boyfriend," I say.

"You should rest, we're going to leave tomorrow morning so we can get there in time," he whispers.

"Okay, goodnight, Peeta," I say, snuggling into his chest.

"Goodnight, Katniss."

* * *

"Katniss," Peeta whispers, slightly shaking me from my sleep. When I open my eyes he smiles that heartwarming smile of his, "We have to get up if we want to make there by lunch time. I'm going to take a shower, there's breakfast on the table."

"Okay," I say, getting out of bed and walking down the steps. I eat my eggs quickly and run up the steps to find Peeta in his towel, picking out his clothes.

"We keep running into this situation," he jokes, "You can go on in, I'll change out here."

"Okay, I'll be out in a minute," I say, walking into the bathroom and turning on the shower. I peel my clothes from my body and stand underneath the water. I just stand there awhile before washing my hair and body. When I climb out I wrap the towel around my body and find a dress to wear. I've never been one to wear dresses, but I suppose Prim would be happy to know I'm finally trying out the style. I put the dress on back in the bathroom, and blow dry my hair. I straighten it like I did on my first day here, pushing a silky white headband back onto my head.

"Ready?" Peeta asks from outside the door just as I spit out my toothpaste.

"Yep, let's go," I say excitedly, running down the steps and into the car.

"Katniss!?" Prim shouts once she opens the door.

"Surprise!" I exclaim wrapping my arms around my little sister.

"Katniss? Is that you?" Mother whispers as she walks up to me.

"Yeah," I wrap my arms around her as well, "Um, this is Peeta, my husband," I say, linking my arm through his.

"Nice to meet you, Peeta, please come in," my mother moves out of the doorway so we can walk into the little house.

**OMG! I am so disappointed in myself! I promised larger chapters and I gave you this! I promise that I will upload another small chappie before next Monday, AND upload a larger one on Monday. I was gone for a long time so I din't get to write much this week, but I promise I'll do this. I love you all, let's shoot for 50 reviews!**


	6. Family, Friends, and Love

Once we get settled in the tiny living room Peeta starts to warm up, talking to Prim, and even making her laugh. I keep closely snuggled to him on the couch the whole time. Peeta laughs at something Prim says, and I can't help but smile at everyone, "Katniss, will you come help me in the kitchen?" Prim asks.

"Sure," I say, letting go of Peeta, who turns to my mother and starts up a conversation. I wish I could start a conversation that easily with someone whom I've just met. It took me a few days to warm up to Peeta, but he was different, if it had been anyone else it'd have taken at least a week.

"So, is he being good to you?" Prim whispers worriedly. She raising her brows and shifts her weight several times while waiting for my answer.

"Yes, he is," I smile, turning back to the table and setting down the chicken Peeta cooked.

"What do you mean by that? Did he try anything with you? Does he make you do chores? Did he make you wear that dress? Did he make you do that to your hair? Are you okay? Are you just saying everything's okay for me? I'm old enough, you know, I can handle it. Just tell me," she whispers quickly while putting silverware on the table.

"Everything's okay, Prim. He's really good. He told me from the start that he didn't want me to do anything I didn't want to. I care about him, Prim, and he cares about me," I begin to walk back to the living room when she catches my arm.

"You told him that!?" she whispers harshly.

"Yeah, we were just lying there and he told me, then I told him. Then, we went to bed, woke up, and came here," I say plainly.

"Wait, what do you mean you were just lying there?"

"In bed, where else would we be lying?" I ask, freeing my arm and straightening my dress.

"I thought you said he didn't want you to do anything you didn't want to."

"He doesn't, can't I sleep in the same bed as my husband and not be questioned? I'm going back to the living room to tell them dinner is ready," I tell her, walking quickly so she doesn't stop me again.

"-that's lovely, Prim used to look at the cakes in our bakery. Her father used to buy them every once in awhile," I hear my mother say to Peeta.

"Maybe for her birthday I could make one," Peeta suggests.

"She'd love that, she'll be turning thirteen in April," my mother tells him as I sit next to Peeta on the couch again.

"Shall I bake her a cake, Katniss?" he asks me.

"Yeah, she'd really like that. She's always wanted a grand one from our local bakery," I say while smiling. Prim comes in a moment later.

"Dinner is ready!" she shrills, skipping into the kitchen. Peeta chuckles and takes my hand as we walk into the kitchen together. Dinner is delicious, and Peeta keeps up a steady conversation with Prim and my mother. I keep a grip on his hand the entire time. When we're done we decide to go see my friends, saying our goodbyes to Prim and Mother.

"Goodbye, Prim, Mrs. Everdeen. It was nice to meet you two," Peeta says respectively, hugging them both.

"Bye, Peeta," Prim says, "Bye Katniss."

"Goodbye, Little Duck, we'll come by tomorrow. Maybe for some breakfast before we leave."

"Goodbye, Peeta, bye, Katniss," my mother says, pulling me in for a hug. With that we walk out the door with a wave and into the automobile. I direct Peeta to Madge's house, which is by far the largest house in my small town.

"Catnip?!" Gale takes me by surprise, pulling me in for a bear hug.

"Gale? What're you doing here?" I ask.

"I could say the same thing," he tells me.

"Gale! Who was at the door?!" Madge's voice echoes down the stairway as she makes her way down from her room.

"It's me!" I say, opening my arms wide to hug her.

"Oh, my gosh! And who's this?" she gestures to Peeta, who is standing behind me. I link my arm through his, possessively.

"This is my husband, Peeta."

"It's nice to meet you, come on in, you guys!" Madge says in her usual cheery voice. Gale keeps staring Peeta down, which I can tell is making him uncomfortable. I give Gale a 'what-the-hell-are-you-doing' look. Which he replies with a 'what-the-hell-do-you-think' look.

"Hey, Katniss, wanna help me skin some squirrel for a snack?" he asks.

"Sure, I'll be right back, Peeta."

"Okay," he says as I give him a kiss on the cheek. He gives me a smile as I begin to walk away.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" asks quietly in Madge's kitchen.

"Me? What the hell were you doing?" I ask.

"Um, staring him down?" he says, as if it were obvious.

"Why?" I ask in the same tone to him.

"Hello? He bought you, Katniss," he says.

"So?"

"So, he's a weirdo, a pervert, and probably a rapist," he says, crossing his arms.

"No, he's not. He's not weird, or a pervert."

"But, he's rapist."

"No, he's not, he doesn't want to have sex until I'm ready. So, leave him alone."

"Okay," he says, raising his arms defensively.

"Now, let's finish this visit in peace," I tell him, walking back into the living room, telling them that there was no squirrel. I feel my feelings for Peeta growing into something close to what my mother and father felt. I hope one day I can have that with Peeta.

**Okay, here it is! I'm officially back on track. I hope this makes up for the short chappie yesterday! Shoot for 55 reviews? I love you all, see you Monday! PM me with any ideas, or write them in the reviews!**


	7. Catching up

Throughout the rest of the visit with Gale and Madge I can tell that Gale is getting frustrated with Peeta. I'm not sure why, but maybe because he's just trying to protect me from someone who I know wouldn't hurt me. I hear Peeta laughing, and I find my way back to the conversation. Madge is laughing too, but not Gale, "That's such a coinsidence!" Madge says loudly while trying to stop her laughing. Only then do I realize that I'm snuggled so close to Peeta. His arm is around me, with my head resting on him.

"Maybe you could come visit us with your family, my father would love to see your father again," he says, and I realize they're laughing about how their fathers knew each other.

"You could stay in the guest room. Gale, do you want to come, too?" I ask him.

"No, that's okay. I can't leave my family on their own," he says.

"They could come along," Peeta says, "we've got plenty of room in the house."

"Maybe. I'll have to speak with my mother and my siblings," he says, nodding his head.

"Madge, do you have a telephone?" Peeta asks her.

"Yes, do you need to make a call?" she asks.

"No, I was just thinking that you and Katniss could talk to each other with our telephone," he says.

"That'd be great. Madge can give us her number and we can speak to each other on the phone," I say.

"I'll go write it down!" Madge says, "Gale, why don't you come with me, we could use some beverages. Peeta, would you like some beer?"

"Sure, that'd be great," he says with his glowing smile.

"I'll just have a glass of water," I say.

"Alright, come on, Gale," she says, walking into the kitchen with him.

"So, Madge is very nice."

"Yeah, she's always like that," I tell him with a light laugh.

"Gale seems nice, though I'm not sure he likes me very much," he says.

"Um, he kinda is just a little protective of me, more like in a brotherly way," I say. He nods, and then grabs my hand. I squeeze it. Carefully, he leans down and kisses my cheek. I blush furiously, bowing my head in hope he won't see.

"We brought some drinks!" Madge says cheerfully. But not too cheerfully, because she knows that gets to me.

"Thank you, Madge. Once we finish we should probably go to the hotel," Peeta says to no one in particular.

"Yeah, it's already eight o'clock and I don't want to be up too late," I say, taking a sip of my water. We chatter for awhile until we decide to leave.

"Goodbye, Gale, Madge," Peeta says, "it was nice to meet you," he extends a hand to Gale. Gale looks at it for a moment before firmly gripping and shaking it. Madge reaches to hug Peeta while I hug Gale. Then I hug Madge.

"Thanks for being so cool. I want you to know he's okay, and I'm okay," I whisper so quietly I'm not sure she heard. But she does, and when we pull away she nods her head, telling me she knows and she's glad. We say final goodbyes before Peeta and I walk down the driveway to our car. He opens the door for me before climbing in on the drivers side. I clutch Madge's number in my hand, just staring at it until we arrive at the hotel.

* * *

Peeta checks us in and carries our luggage to the tiny room. Once we're ready for bed it's about nine-thirty. I guess we spent a lot of time talking after we finished our drinks. Peeta slightly bends over to kiss my cheek, but I turn my head accidentally and we end up kissing on the lips. It's a nice kiss, an accidental one, but a good one. It lasted awhile, and I can tell he wanted to kiss my lips as much as I wanted to kiss his. When we pull away from it he looks into his lap, "Sorry," he says.

"For what?" I ask, turning to him, and settling into the bed.

"For kissing you," he says, as if it's obvious. He settles in, too, turning off the lamp so it's completely dark. I snuggle closer to him, a concept I've come to love.

"Why?"

"I told you I wouldn't do anything you didn't want me to," he says, sounding ashamed.

"Who said I didn't want you to kiss me?" I say, just before placing my hand on his cheek, and pulling his face closer to mine. We share another kiss, but this one is on purpose.

**Okay, not so long, but I'm going to update a super long one next week. I'm going on a trip, so I'll be in the car a total of about seventeen hours! I think I can find time to write a pretty long chappie for you guys in that time. I'll update again on Monday. Btw, almost to 100 follows! Can we get there by next week? I love you all, shoot for 60 reviews?**


	8. Do I Care?

I sleep in peace, so peacefully I don't think I've slept the same way since I was just a baby. Is it possible to be this comfortable with someone? I just had my first kiss with someone I've only known for nine days. This isn't how I am, this isn't me. I've got to back away, find a way to rewind to the first day where I was afraid of him. How do I do that? How do I just take back everything I said? I told Gale everything was okay, but it's really not. I told Madge and Prim the same thing, can I just tell them I changed my mind? What about when they all come up to meet Peeta's folks? Will I be able to still act as if I'm smitten? I guess I sort of am, but Katniss Everdeen doesn't trust people until they've proven themselves. For him to prove himself he must respect my choice to rewind. I'll just wait for that to happen, I guess. I don't know. All the thoughts in my head cause a headache, and I decide to get up and walk around. Why am I acting like this? Why am I not terribly frightened but trying to stay strong? That's what I promised I do, and that's what I'll rewind to. I just need to find out how. Maybe if I rewind to how Delly is then I can figure everything out. She's afraid of what he might do to her, frightened Cato will return her with one screwup. Maybe if we have my family and friends come after this is all sorted out then it won't be so awkward. I sit on the bed, causing Peeta to wake up. I don't look at him, I try to be afraid. He gets up, "I'm going to get ready, then we can head to your house for breafast. Sound good?" he asks, walking to the little bathroom.

"Okay, I'll just get dressed, I showered last night."

"Alright," he says, flashing me a smile and ducking into the bathroom. When he does that it's really hard to be afraid of him. Or even the slightest bit nervous. Why did this have to happen? What would Dad think of me marrying someone I didn't know, then falling for him so easily. I haven't fallen for him all the way. But, then again, I don 't even know what that feels like. Will I be able to move on with him if I feel something? Surely he can't feel the same way. We were thrown together at random. Literally. They put girl names in a glass bowl, and boy names in a glass bowl, then pick randomly. Then, we are to marry when I arrive at his home. But, when I left my family to live with a stranger I never expected to like that stranger as much as I do. Maybe I just need to leave, but how much of the money have Prim and Mom spent? Will we be able to pay it back? Breakfast zooms by, and we say our goodbyes to my mother and Prim. I tell Prim that I'm okay, even though my head is spinning. Why can't I just rewind back to that day I met him and keep my distance? On the long car ride back to our mansion I nap. I nap and think, clearing my head. I wake when Peeta shakes me, "Katniss, we're home, you can go rest upstairs, I'll bring in the bags."

"Okay," I yawn, stumbling into the house. I flop on the bed when I'm in our room, and I begin to cry. Why am I crying? I should've never left home. I should've never came here. I should've never met him. When he comes in he sets down the bags and tries to put his arm around me. I don't let him, I push him away, and run to lock myself in the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks, looking up from his book when I finally come out of the bathroom.

"I don't know," I say, opening my closet and grabbing the first nightgown I see. I sigh, walking into the bathroom again. When I emerge I walk over to the bed and lie down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, turning off the lamp.

"Maybe."

"Why were you crying?" he asks, reaching for my hand. To refrain from hurting his feelings I gently push it away and turn to face him.

"I'm just confused."

"What about?"

"Us," I say plainly, looking down.

"Why?" he asks sweetly.

"My head is telling me to be afraid of you, but my heart is telling me to care about you," I explain to him. Why is he so sweet? I almost wish I had gotten Cato as a husband. Everything would be so much less complicated. I would be afraid, but act strong, as always. Plain and simple.

"Why would you be afraid of me?"

"Because you bought me."

"Will that always be a barrier between us?" he asks. I think about what he says for a few moments. Will it be something to keep us apart? Would we have met anyways, without Miss Trinket drawing our names from those bowls a few weeks ago? Maybe I should just say I care aobut him and wait to see if I really do. No, I can't. I can't just let him buy me, and pull me every which way just so that he can have someone lie next to him on this large bed.

"Maybe it will be, but I'm going back to square one. The first night I met you, and was afraid. That means no more kissing me, not even on the cheek. If you want to act like a normal husband and force me, go right ahead, but if you want to keep your word then you'll give me space," I say, curling up in the corner of the bed like I did the first night I met him.

"Goodnight, Katniss."

"Goodnight, Peeta," I say, falling into sleep. All the thinking I've done today has caught up to me, and sleep comes instantly.

When I wake up Peeta is gone. He left me the same note that he left me the first morning I arrived. I guess he understands what I mean. I want everything to be the same so that I can take back the kisses and the talks we've had. But as the day goes on I realize I can't do that. I can't just pretend I didn't tell him I cared, or that I talked to him about Prim and my mother, and my father. I don't talk to anyone about my father. Not even Gale or Madge. I've barely ever even talked about him to Mother and Prim. Prim's asked me about him, and I've told her things to describe him, but not truly tell her what kind of a man my father was. I've let everything personal about me slip right through my lips, and into the ears of Peeta Mellark. How could I be so oblivious to what I was doing? How could I just let that happen?

I dress in casual clothes, like I did when I was home and careless. I don't straighten my hair, but instead I walk to Cato and Delly's mansion. When she opens the door she wraps her arms around me, "Katniss!" she says, opening the door for me to step inside.

"Hey," I walk in for the first time. She never wanted me inside, I guess she was afraid of Cato. Maybe she's warmed up to her new home. Either way, she's better off than me.

"I just made some tea for Cato and I. Would you like some?" she asks, walking over to the table and pouring two cups for the.

"That'd be great," I say, taking a seat at the kitchen table. She pours a cup for me and takes a seat, sipping from the tiny cup. We smile at each other, "Thanks."

"No problem!" she says in her usual cheery voice.

"So, where's Cato?" I ask her, taking a sip from my teacup. She keeps on smiling at me. That's weird, actually. Every time I've talked to her about him he face drops. I wonder what happened.

"Oh, he's just getting ready for work, should be down soon."

"Oh, my goodness. I'm already late, I'm gonna have to pass on the tea, Del," Cato says as he runs down the stairs. He slips on his dress shoes a coat, before walking over to Delly to kiss her on the cheek. With that he runs out the door to his car.

"So, how is everything going?"

"Really good, actually. We talked a few days ago, and agreed to act like a married couple. All that I have to do is cook clean, and give him the occasional kiss. So far it's been working, and I'm not stressing about pleasing him or anything."

"That sounds like a good deal. Do you like him?" I ask her, taking hold of my hair and combing my fingers through it.

"I probably wouldn't have chose him if I had the choice," she frowns, "Not like I ever really had a choice anyway. It's okay, though. Enough about me, how is your husband? Peter?"

"Peeta. And, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I kind of feel like I'm trying to make myself believe that I care for him on a deeper level than I really do. He's nice, but I can't possibly feel something for him, right?" I ask.

"I don't know, but it seems to me that you just need to relax and let your heart do what it wants."

"But what if it does what I don't want it to do?" I ask her, a headache forming out of frustration.

"Trust me, it will. The heart knows what you feel, and will make its decision when it's ready," she tells me, taking our empty teacups to the sink.

"Thanks, Delly. You're a good friend, want to come over tomorrow for lunch?" I suggest.

"That'd be lovely."

"Alright, see you at twelve o'clock?"

"Sure thing!" she walks over to hug me.

"I should get going, Peeta gets home at two o'clock," I tell her. She walks me to the door, we exchange goodbyes, and I walk home. I think about Delly's advice. Maybe I do need to let go, but can I do that when I've already told Peeta the opposite? Maybe I can try what Delly's doing. But I feel like everything we've said and done has made our relationship break. Almost like there's too many pieces to be put back together. I've got to try, though. I'll be living with him for probably the rest of my life. Once I'm fifty we are eligible for divorce, according to the contract we both signed. Most of the girls will want to get the hell out of their homes, but I think I might stick around.

"Katniss? Is that you?" Peeta asks from the couch in the living room.

"Yeah, I was at my friend's house," I say, walking to the living room and sitting on the chair. I turn to the TV, "What're you watching?"

"It's an old documentary," he says, keeping his eyes on the TV.

"Can we talk?" I ask him quietly.

"What about?"

"Us."

"Sure," he presses a button on the remote and the TV turns to blackness. I stand up and walk over to the couch, sitting next to him, but not too close. I don't want him to get the wrong idea.

"Can we start over, and just be ourselves?" I want him so badly to answer with a 'yes'.

"I don't know if I can do that?" He says, looking into my eyes.

"Why not?" I ask sadly.

"I don't understand you, Katniss. First you're afraid of me, then you care about me, then you actually want to have a relationship and kiss me, then you want to take it all back and start over, and now you want to just throw everything away, act like we have just met, and 'just be ourselves'?" He starts raising his voice, and I see how all the times I've changed my mind is getting confusing for him, "Well, guess what? If you want to be yourself, you should probably figure out who you are, and what you feel," he runs up the stairs to our bedroom, leaving me to sadly think about what he said. I guess I haven't truly appreciated his kindness and understanding through all of this. Maybe it's time I should. Maybe it's time I stop waiting for him to prove himself, and open my eyes to see who he is, and why I thought I cared about him in the first place.

Okay, guys, I hope you all like this chapter! I'm glad I had Katniss question everything, because in the reviews someone pointed out she was falling for him a little too fast. Can we shoot for 70ish reviews? I'm really proud of this, and I hope that I vacant keep up the long chapters. Review! PM me with ideas, or leave them in the reviews. I love you all!

P.S.

Thanks for 103 follows!


	9. Emotions, Feelings, and Confusion

I snuggle up to him that night. I feel like I owe it to both of us. At first he just sits there, but then he puts his arm around me and pulls me close. Wait, what the hell did I just do? Am I somehow sending him some kind of message? I want to clarify things right away, "I'm sorry that I made you angry, but I still don't know how I feel."

"I know, me neither," he whispers. I guess we both have some figuring out to do, but I do know I'm not falling so easily this time around. I need to stay away, and keep my distance, but right now I'm not off to a real good start, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's okay," I whisper back. I want to push him away and say I need space, but he's so innocent, I can't do that to him. I can stay close to him in bed, right? No harm is done. So I sleep by him that night, and it's peaceful. I know when I wake up Peeta will be there. He doesn't work on Saturdays, and I know I'll feel obligated to spend the day with him. Which is just more stress about our relationship. Then I remember Delly, she'll be over at noon for lunch. Maybe she could bring Cato so he can make friends with Peeta. They can go in the game room while Delly and I chat. Is this wrong? Should I lead him on like this? Maybe I should just let go, like Delly said. But I just can't. I don't know why, but I just can't let go. I feel like I'm letting go of my independence I'd if I allow myself to fall for this man, and that's something I will not do.

* * *

I wake up, as bright light streams in through the windows. I take time to listen to the birds chirping, and the quiet snoring of Peeta. I turn to look at him, he's sound asleep, and I don't want to wake him too early. I lie back down, maybe this is what I need. All my life I've been trying to be strong, and trusting nobody but those closest. Maybe that's why I never had a boyfriend. Well, the real reason I never had a boyfriend was because I never looked. But I can tell that Peeta is the kind of man I would've picked anyway. Would my father approve of me marrying a man four years older than me, though? He would've, I decide, if he thought it was true love. I miss my father everyday, I wish I could have one more day with him. Then he could see how I've grown up, and see that I'm okay. Maybe I should give Peeta a chance, he might just prove to be the best man I've ever met. He's already proven that, being so kind, treating me as an equal, and being so flexible to fit my feelings. I should give him a chance, and that's what I'm going to do. I carefully get up and walk into the bathroom to take a shower. I peel off my clothes and turn on the shower, undoing my braid. After my shower I dry my hair and straighten it, I've never been one to care about my appearance, but I like that I can comb it easier.

"So, what's going on today?" Peeta says at breaksfast through a mouthful of bacon.

"Um, Delly's coming over in about two hours, I was going to call her and tell her she could bring her husband," I reply, "Is that okay?"

"Sure, I'd like to meet her husband."

"Okay," I say, stuffing some eggs into my mouth. We eat in a comfortable silence, that I find to be relaxing. I call Delly to tell her she's welcome to bring Cato, and she agrees to have him come. At noon the doorbell rings. I run to the door to open it, finding Delly and Cato with flowers and wine.

"Hi, Katniss!" Delly says, opening her arms to hug me. I hug her back, smiling and saying 'hi' to Cato.

"For you," he holds out the flowers, which I take.

"Thank you. Come on in," I say, moving to make way for them. Just as I expected Peeta comes down the stairs and immediately introduces himself.

"Hi, I'm Katniss' husband Peeta. You must be Cato and Delly," he says, kissing Delly's hand and shaking Cato's.

"Nice to meet you!" Delly says, setting the wine down on the table. Cato and Peeta get to talking, and decide on going to the game room to play pool. Just as I thought.

"So, would you like some tea?" I ask her, taking it off the stove.

"Sure," I take two cups and fill them just like Miss Trinket showed us in her class, "So, you didn't tell me how hot he was," she raises her eyebrows, a smile playing at her lips. I blush at her comment. She smiles wide, "I wonder what he would look like without a shirt," I choke on my tea, and set down my cup. I swallow hard before looking at her with my red face. She smiles again, "So, you do like him!" she shouts.

"Shhh!" I say, raising my eyebrows. I don't want Peeta to think I like him, it would only complicate things even more. If that's even possible. I'm not even sure what I feel, so I don't want him making assumptions off of something Delly bellowed through the house during our chat.

"Why won't you just admit that you have feelings for him?" she wines.

"I don't, I just-I kind of-I'm sort of-I don't know how I feel," I frown, giving up on explaining exactly what I'm feeling.

"Fine, then I'll give you a test," she taps her chin awhile, thinking of questions to ask me, "Have you ever felt the sudden urge to kiss him?" I don't want to answer that question, because I have wanted to kiss him, many times.

"Yes," I admit, wanting this damn test to be over with.

"When's the last time you were the one who got sex going?" she asks, causing me to blush.

"We don't have sex," I tell her.

"Really!?" she cracks up.

"He told me he would wait until I was ready," I say.

"Okay, okay, next question," she says, trying to hide her smile. Finally her face lights up, "Do you lie close to him in bed?" she asks. I blush, "Don't tell me you don't sleep in the same bed!"

"No, we do. And...I sleep near him," I say, "but it's only because I'm used to sleeping with my sister."

"So, you sleep with your sister the same way you sleep with Peeta?" she asks, raising her eyebrows at me. I guess I do sleep closer to Peeta, so I can't compare sleeping with Prim to sleeping with Peeta.

"Fine! We sleep closer! Are you happy?" I shout at her, trying to be serious but smiling. Then, suddenly we both start laughing, probably because of my stubbornness, or maybe because of my bad attempt at hiding my smile.

"Come on, let's go see what the boys are up to."

* * *

Delly stops me from opening the door, "Listen," she whispers, and I tune in to their conversation.

"-so, I don't really know. It's kind of hard to tell what's going on," I voice I recognize as Peeta's says.

"You're into her, I can see it by the way you look at her," Cato says, they must be talking about me. Well, he is my husband afterall.

"Yeah, I guess I am. But the only reason we're even together is because I bought her. She only came here so that her family would have food. If I would've asked her out she totally would've shut me down. Is that really what he thinks? That I would shut him down before he had the chance? Wait a minute, rewind. Did he say he's into me? Maybe knowing he has feelings for me will help me let go. At least I hope it will, because holding on to that last shred of hope of not falling for him is getting exhausting

"You never know."

"What about Delly? She's hot, do you like her?" he asks. For some reason I'm jealous. Is it because he called Delly 'hot'? Why am I jealous? Are Delly and Cato right? Should we just go for it? But how can I just tell him I want to be together, when legally we are? I guess you just come out and say it, but it seems like one of those things better said than done. But, really, what do I have to lose? Go for it. Maybe I can finally let go, because now someone's here to catch me. And that someone is Peeta

**Okay, guys, I'm sorry if it's a little short. I've been freaking out about school lately, so writing sort of slipped my mind. Sadly, there will be no chapter next week because I will be super busy babysitting from 6am-5:30pm. I also will be starting school next Tuesday, so I'm taking a week off. I hope you guys like this chapter. Another reason I've not been writing is because I am working on another story! It's going to be called 'Taking Their Innocence' so look for it, I'll let you know when the first chappie is up. Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites, let's shoot for 80 reviews? I love you all!**


	10. The Truth

When Delly and Cato walk out the door that night I'm almost one-hundred percent sure that Peeta and I could work. I don't understand the whole idea of love, though. I just don't know what if feels like. The closest I've come to it, though, is Peeta. When we go to sleep I tell him that, too. I sigh, "I think we should give this a try," I say.

"Really?" he asks.

"Yeah, and I was thinking that maybe my family and friends could come stay here to visit soon."

"I think that'd be great," he says, "Now am I allowed to kiss you?" I laugh at his question.

"Yes," he leans in, tilting his head and moving mind closer. Finally, our lips meet, and I can feel so much more in that one kiss than I've ever felt before. It's sweet, and slow, and wonderful. A part of me wants to just pull away, but something is telling me to never let go. I"m confused, but I think a kiss is what we both need right now, if that makes any sense. My eyes are still closed when he pulls away and I think that something inside me will always tell me to never let go of him, and to stay with him.

"Goodnight, Katniss," he whispers, giving me one more quick peck on the lips.

"Goodnight, Peeta," I whisper, resting my head next to him while his arm wraps around me. That's when I realize that that kiss left me wanting more.

"Katniss!" Prim shouts as the driver Peeta hired dropped them off at our house. Gale, Madge, and my mother emerge shortly after Prim. Her braids swing back and forth as she runs to me. Peeta helps unload their baggage, giving me a perfect view of his biceps as he lifts them our o the trunk.

"Hi, Little Duck!" I hug her bag, I can already tell that this week together is going to be spectacular. I just hope that Gale will loosen the reins on Peeta, he seemed really protective when we visited.

**Let me say just how sad I am. I know you all hate me right now, but before you leave nasty reviews I have one announcement to make. The first chapter of 'Taking Their Innocence will be out on Friday! That's the reason I wasn't able to update, and I was grounded, so no internet. :( I promise there will be another update before next week, and there will be one on time on Monday. I know this sucks, so I'm not going to shoot for a number of reviews, just leave them if you want. I love you all! I hope you love me even when I post crappy chapters!**


	11. A Visit

**ATTENNTION! Please read the author's note at the end! Thank you, and here's another chapter of 'Can Money Buy Love'.**

"So, how about some lunch?" Peeta asks once everyone's settled in their rooms and gathered in the living room.

"That'd be great, I'll come help," I say, standing up and walking to the kitchen with Peeta. It took a long time to find a time that everyone could make it, so it means a lot to It's been three months since Peeta and I have been in a real relationship. We snuggle every night, and it feels so good to be able to kiss him whenever I want, and to have him kiss me. We talk about our relationship, but sex is still out of the question. Both of us aren't ready yet, so we haven't ever mentioned it. No matter what, we're happy, and that's all that matters. All I want right now, though, is to be with my husband, family and friends.

"Are you okay, Katniss?" Peeta asks sweetly, putting his arm around my waist as we fill the last bowls of soup

"Yeah, I am," I say, kissing his lips. He slips his tongue in, but I push it out. I smile, "My family is in the other room. Tonight."

"Okay," he pouts. He turns to set the table, and I walk into the other room to tell them the soup is ready.

"It's ready, you guys can come into the kitchen," I tell them, leading the way.

"It's so pretty, and the bowls are so fancy!" Prim gushes as she takes her place at the table. We all chat politely, and Peeta and I hold hands under the table as we listen and take part in the conversation. By the end of the night everyone is tired out, and we all retire to our rooms. Peeta and I change into our pajamas, climbing into bed next to each other. We lie facing each other, smiling.

"You know, you promised you'd kiss me," Peeta whispers.

"I know," I whisper, leaning into his mouth. We share a kiss, and this time, when he slips his tongue in I don't push it out. We allow our tongues to mingle, and I love the rather new feeling. It feels new, but in a good way. Peeta's taken to being more romantic, and I've followed his lead. We kiss often, and I find myself falling deeper everyday. The old Katniss would have never allowed herself to feel this way, but in the past few months I've come to really deeply care for Peeta, and I love every minute we spend together. As our kiss come to an end I roll on top of him, keeping my face close to his.

"Thank you," Peeta whispers.

"What for?" I ask, genuinely curious as to what he's thanking me for.

"For letting me in."

"We'll, I'm glad I did," I whisper, leaning in to his mouth. We kiss again, and we continue to kiss multiple times. Once, twice, three times, four, then I lose count, drowning myself in his kisses. It's a truly magical feeling, and I can't believe I got such a great husband. I remember the morning Prim and my mother dropped me off. I was anticipating a rough man, one who would force sexual activity, and whose kisses would be painful and unwanted. But here I am, with Peeta, who has done me no wrong and whose kisses I long for, and who is gentle with me, kind, and polite. I can't believe how lucky I got, but the funny thing is, he tells me he cares about me. Even though I haven't much to offer him, he tells me he cares, and that I'm wonderful and beautiful. I blush every time he compliments me, and I can't help but kiss him every chance I get. The kisses continue, and I rake my hands through his messy blond hair. He rubs my back soothingly, and I never want the chain of kisses to end. Then there's a knock at the door. I look at Peeta sadly, getting up to open it. I look down at my little sister, "What are you doing still up?" I ask her.

"I need some water," she says quietly. She peers around me at Peeta, who smiles at her.

"Come on," I say, guiding her down the stairs. I fill a glass with water, going as quickly as I can so I can get back to Peeta. I watch Prim intently as she gulps the water, she looks so innocent and sweet. I remember when she found out that I was leaving. I tried to tell her in the calmest fashion, so she wouldn't be worried about anything or cry too much. But it didn't work. She still worried and cried and clung to me when I left. 'I'm signing up for a program. I'm going to get married and move in with my husband, and then you guys can get some money that should last you until you can get a job, okay?' I tried telling her that it would be okay, but even I wasn't sure how things would turn out. I hoped for a nice husband, but the odds weren't in my favor. 'I might not see you for awhile, but I'll see you again, someday. You and Mom need to take care of each other, and don't worry about me, because I'm going to be fine.' I remember the many questions that poured from her mouth. 'Is he nice?', 'When will I see you again?', 'Can I come, too?', 'Where will you live?, 'Are you going to be okay?', 'When are you leaving?' were some of them. But the worst part was I couldn't answer them, not without crying or saying 'I don't know'. I look at Prim now and see her body's much fuller. She used to be so skinny because my hunting was barely enough, and the money from Peeta allowed them to have much more food. That's the reason I signed up for Miss Trinket's classes, and why I sold myself to her program. Prim hands me the glass.

"Thank you, Katniss," she says, giving me a hug, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Prim," I say to her, hugging back and watching her pad up the steps to her room. I follow her up shortly after, opening the door to Peeta's and my room. He's in the bathroom brushing his teeth, he spits and walks out and crawls in by me.

"Hey," he says, kissing my cheek and grinning at me.

"Hey," I reply, smiling back. He turns off the lamp and lies down next to me. I snuggle into his chest, as I do every night, now.

"Goodnight, Katniss," he whispers.

"Goodnight, Peeta," I whisper back. He kisses me, and we doze off, in each others arms. I hope that the rest of my family and friends visit goes smoothly, because all I want right now is happiness, and I think I've finally found it.

**Okay, so I'm sorry that there won't be another update until next Monday, but I hate posting super short chapter, like the last one, so I decided to post this. I hope it's okay, I'm sorry if it sucks. Announcement! The first chapter of 'Taking Their Innocence is out, there will be another one on Friday, so please check that out! I love you all, shoot for 90 reviews? **


	12. A Party?

When I wake up Peeta's gone. It's Monday, so he'll be at the bakery until two o'clock. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday he'll be at the bakery until then as well. On Friday the bakery closes at noon, though, so we'll be able to have a nice lunch together. My family and friends will be saying goodbye on Sunday, but I know I can't be counting down the days. I shake away the thought and tip-toe down the stairs, so as not to wake anyone. I know Gale'll be up, him and I used to get up before dawn so we could hunt before school, and it became an instinct to get up that early. I see him sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee in his hands as he rocks back and forth on the swing. I walk over to him, "Hey, I thought you'd be up," I tell him as I sit down next to him.

"Yeah, apparently Peeta gets up real early to make bread. He made a pot of coffee before he left."

"How're you guys doing? Back home, take Rory out to the woods yet?" I question, I know before I left he wanted to but he never quite got around to it.

"No, not yet, he's been asking, though. I've just been busy, money's tight, and every spare minute I have I'm hunting or working down at Sae's," he lets out a stressed breath and rakes a hand through his dark brown hair.

"Do you need money? Peeta and I could lend you some," I ask him, I can't let his family starve while I live in luxury, it just makes me feel wrong inside.

"I don't need your charity," he snaps. I knew he'd decline my offer, but if I didn't offer I'd never forgive myself. I wish he'd let me help him, but I know he's too...how do I put it? He's too...independent.

"You know if you ever need anything we can help. Peeta's grandmother was very wealthy and she left everything to him. He was her favorite," I tell him proudly. I think of Peeta sitting in the bakery, having been working for hours already. Usually I go down to help. He wouldn't let me at first, but finally he let me help frost cookies and cupcakes.

"He had it too easy. Everything was handed to him, he didn't work for anything. All he did was suck up to an old lady," he spits. I've never really seen him like this, so angry.

"You know, he loved his grandmother, and I'd say, from what he told me his brothers would be the ones to suck up to her," I shoot back.

"Can u hear yourself? This guy paid thousands of dollars to buy you. He bought you. You know, when you first told me I thought you were gonna be some kind of prostitute or something, that's how bad it sounds!" he yells, "I don't feel like coffee anymore," he roughly jumps off the swing and walks into the house, dumping the coffee in the sink and running to his room. Feeling mad and offended. I scribble a note saying I'll be back from the bakery soon. When I set the sloppy note on the counter I notice Peeta made french toast, and grab a slice before padding up the steps to dress. I run down the steps, not even bothering to be quiet and quickly grabbing my coat and walking as fast as I can to the bakery.

"Katniss? I thought you'd stay home today," he says confusedly, looking up from the dough he was previously kneading.

"Yeah, I just wanted to stop by. Maybe frost a few cookies," I tell him, throwing on my apron and putting my hair up in a ponytail .

"What's wrong?" he asks knowingly, pulling me towards him by the waist.

"Nothing, everything's just perfect," I lie, not wanting to bring him down. I press my lips against his, and he slips his tongue in. We make out for a few minutes, but them he pulls away.

"You should get back. Maybe Cato, Delly, Clove, and Marvel could join us for dinner. I'll bring some cake back," he suggests. I nod.

"I'll see you when you get back," I give him one more peck, exchange my apron for my coat, and walk back to Clove's house. Recently, she's been allowed to leave the house without Marvel, her husband, but only to get groceries or visit Delly and me. She answers the door.

"Katniss! What a lovely surprise,would you like to come in? Marvel and I were just eating breakfast," she invites, opening the door wider.

"Oh, no. Peeta and I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. My family's staying with us, and so are some of my friends from home," I tell her, peering around her at Marvel.

"Marvel, may we go to Peeta and Katniss's house for dinner?" She asks politely.

"Yes," he answers, taking a bite of his bacon.

"Count us in!" she says cheerfully, clearly glad to get out of the house.

"Alright, see you at six," I hug her and walk the short distance to Delly's house.

"Katniss? I didn't know you girls were getting together this morning," Cato asks, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"We weren't, I came to invite you guys over for dinner tonight. My friends and family are in town, Clove and Marvel are coming."

"Sure, I'll tell Delly, she's still sleeping. I was just on my way to work, actually, would you like a lift home?" I asks politely, smiling so bright I think I may be temporarily blinded.

"Sure, why not?" I agree, shrugging and hopping into his automobile, fastening the seatbelt and looking ahead.

"So, how many people are staying with you?" he attempts small talk, keeping his eyes on the road.

"My mother, my sister, and two friends. Just a few people, I'm not one for mass crowds," I tell him plainly, looking out the window.

"Oh, that's nice," I can tell he has nothing else to say, so we sit in a comfortable silence until he pulls into my driveway.

"Well, thank you very much, for the ride, I'll see you tonight," I tell him before opening the car and stepping out, walking up to the porch.

"See 'ya tonight, Katniss!" he calls, speeding away to work.

"So, who's Mr. Fancy?" Gale's deep voice startles me as I quietly walk up the steps to the porch quietly.

"He's a friend of mine," I calmly state. Taken aback by his snotty attitude towards me. I all into the house to find Prim gnawing on some french toast.

"Hi, Katniss!" Prim enthusiastically greets me, "What took you so long?"

"I went to invite some friends and their husbands over for dinner," I tell everyone who's gathered for breakfast, "I guess we're having a little party."

"Yay!" Prim shouts, her eyes lighting up.

"You have friends?" Madge asks, "No offense, but you're not exactly the social type."

"Yeah, I met Delly before we left, and Clove lives next to her," I inform them, grabbing an apple from the basket and biting into it. After swallowing I speak again,"Don't ask Marvel why he bought Clove."

"Why not?" Madge asks, "I'd be proud to say I have more than enough money to buy a human," she jokes.

"He just started letting her leave the house alone. Dont ruin it for her, she was really sad before she started hanging out with us," I say seriously. I hope nobody slips up, because I've always felt guilty for having such a nice husband, while Clove was stuck with Marvel. Marvel isn't terrible, but he certainly isn't full of joy.

"Who's really sad?" Gale asks when he enters the house.

"My friend," I tell him flatly, biting my apple again. All I can think about the rest of the day is how the dinner will go. Please don't slip up!

**I am terribly sorry for not updating yesterday! I am also sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Hopefully, chapters will get longer again because my other story has the next 4 chapters written. By the way, have you checked it out yet? If not you should! Shoot for 100 reviews? OMG I can believe I can say at! Thank you, I love you all!**


	13. The Beginning of Goodbye

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BETA!**  
Today's the day. It's not one of those joyous days, but one of those rather dreaded days. Today Prim, Mom, Gale, and Madge will return home. I know it took Gale a long time to save up enough money to keep his family going for a week, and Prim will be starting school next week. While she was here we went school shopping, and Delly tagged along. Clove was under watch, though, Marvel was home that day and he wouldn't allow her to come. When I came by to invite her, seeing as she isn't allowed to use the phone, I could tell she wished so badly she could just leave for a few minutes. Prim found some bows and dresses for school, and she and Delly practically forced me to get my makeup done at the cosmetics counter. When I open my eyes today I realize just how quickly the week has slipped from my grasp. I wriggle out of Peeta's grasp and turn to face him, moving carefully because this is one of the few days he gets to sleep in. He's so handsome in his sleep, and so innocent-looking. After a minute of staring at him I brush away some of his hair, kissing the bare spot on his face. He stirs, his long eyelashes fluttering open and I'm met with the bluish blue I've ever seen. He smiles brightly before getting up and streching. He looks back and smiles wider, "So," he says,"how long were you staring at me?" I feel my cheeks go hot, embarrassed that he knew what I'd been doing in his subconscious.

"I wasn't," I lie automatically, even though I know he caught me.

"Sure," he pulls his shirt over his head, dropping it carelessly on the floor, and walking back over to me, sitting on the bed. This makes my blush deeper, if that's even possible.

"Whatever," I pick up the shirt off the floor. He knows I hate when he does that, "Don't flatter yourself."

"Come on, we've got to get ready, the driver will be her at noon and it's already nine," he pulls down his pants, leaving them on the floor as well. I pull off my shirt, more comfortable with him now, seeing as we've seen each other in a towel and we both know what the others parts look like, nudity doesn't bother us anymore. I pull down my pants as well, and catch his eye. He quickly turns away, his cheeks going a deeper red than mine. I walk over to him in only my undergarments.

"It's okay, Peeta, you don't have to be embarrassed," I tell him.

"I know, it's just that...," he trails off, his face looking like a tomato. I know what he's talking about, too, I've had the same feeling when he comes from the shower in only his towel, or when I get a glimpse of his behind or his junk. It's a weird kind of...desire, and I can't quite place what exactly it means.

"I know," there's a slightly awkward silence after I say this. I step forward, taking his jaw and turning his lips towards mine before crashing my lips into his. It's a passionate kiss, a beautiful kiss, a wonderful kiss, and I know if I don't stop now things will get out of hand. Peeta's first to pull away, sensing my uneasiness, but our lips linger on the others for a minute, breathless. He smiles.

"Let's get dressed and go downstairs," he says, pulling down his boxers and I get that feeling that comes with the glimpse.

When we get downstairs everybody's already talking in the kitchen. Prim smiles when she sees us.

"Hi, guys!"

"Hey, Little Duck," I smile back at her. Peeta immediately walks past everyone to the pantry.

"Pancakes okay with everybody?" he asks.

"Sure," Madge yawns. When I look around I notice Gale isn't among us.

"I'm going to go wake up Gale," I call on my way up the stairs. Gale's been staying in the room next to Peeta and I, I wonder if he can hear us when we speak or kiss at night. I shrug and knock on his door before entering.

**Sorry! I hate that I haven't been posting as often! I'm looking to see if it's possible that someone would want to beta? If I don't get a beta soon I think I might have to drop this story :(. It's been hard to keep up, but the more reviews you give me the more inspired I am to write for you guys. So, please, please, please, review and keep reading through these short chapters. I love you all, and I hope you love me too when I write short chapters! **

**P.S. I am so sorry that the last chapter ripped you off! The one I typed up was lost because I thought I posted it!**


	14. Chapter 14

He's still sleeping, as I thought. Though, he usually is up with the sun. Perhaps he was up late last night, or maybe he just fell back alseep. Either way, I poke his shoulder roughly. He starts to stir, looking around and slightly jumping when his eyes land on me.

"Gosh, Katniss, you scared the hell out of me," he rubs his eyes and yawns, sitting up and looking at me.

"Why weren't you up? You're usually up so early."

"I don't know, I didn't feel like it," he continues to stare at me intensly. I blink away and sigh.

"Well, Peeta is making pancakes if you want some," I tell him, which makes him roll his eyes. I wonder what's been making him so on edge this week. And why he always steers clear of Peeta, maybe it's because he still thinks he's not treating me well, but I think everyone knows now that Peeta's a sweet and caring guy who would never hurt me in any way. But what is it then? What's making Gale so cold. I guess the only way to find out is to address him directly, "Why don't you like him?" I find myself blurting this out before thinking.

"Who? Peeta?"

"Yes, anytime his name is mentioned or he tries to start a conversation with you you change the subject or ignore him. Why is that?"

"Are you seriously asking me this?" he seems amused, like I've just told the funniest joke and he's trying to hold back his laughter. I hate when people find what I say amusing what it's not supposed to be, like I'm missing an inside joke or something.

"What do you mean? I thought I made myself clear," I cross my arms, staring down at him on his bed.

"I can't believe how blind you are!"

"What are you talking about?" I'm even more frustrated that he's now making fun of me.

"The guy paid money to buy you. Buy you, Katniss. And you don't even question that at all. When you first told me you were taking Miss Trinket's classes and were going to be sold you said that you weren't going to see me again, and that I should look out for Prim, and that your husband had complete control over you. You told me that you were scared of who you were going to marry and how he would treat you," he says with a slight hint of anger in his voice. What he says next comes out as more of a whisper, "You told me you didn't want to do it, but that it would help Prim and your mother. And now, you don't even care that he sits there throwing his money around to try to help us."

"Is this about money? Really, Gale? I thought we were past this, you know, we waited three months for you to save enough money to last your family a week when Prim was dying to come see us. But, no. We had to wait for you because you're my best friend and you were so caught up in what you thought of Peeta you couldn't even allow him to send a little money for your family," my voice shows a hint of anger, just as his does, though mine has more frustration and irritation than his.

"Excuse me, if I don't want Rich Boy being the one to feed my family. That's my job, Katniss. And if I don't recall, you were the same way whenever Sae offered you some free soup. So why the hell now are you so damn stuck-up? After all the years we've spent together watching each others backs you don't think twice about falling into Rich Boy's arms? What the hell?"

"No. No, you don't get to talk shit about my family and me. And you sure as hell don't get to bitch about Peeta." I continue to keep my voice low, though I know my anger, frustration, irritation, and annoyance plays a part in my voice. I walk away.

"Katniss, wait," he sighs. Standing up.

"What?"

"It's just...I've been...look, I," he sighs in frustration, "Look, this isn't easy for me either. I've been...feeling some things in the past few years of our friendship..."

**Dun duh dun! I hope you guys are excited for the next chapter! I've been looking for a beta, if you want, PM me! I've decided I'm not going to have an established day for updating, so you won't know when I'll hit you with another chapter. Read my other story, Taking Their Innocence. (Not what it sounds like.) Shoot for... More reviews!**


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